Sivia Capital Partners LLC Acquires 6,669 Shares of Merck & Co., Inc. $MRK

Sivia Capital Partners LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) by 40.9% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 22,993 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 6,669 shares during the period. Merck & Co., Inc. comprises approximately 0.5% of Sivia Capital Partners LLC’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 26th largest holding. Sivia Capital Partners LLC’s holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. were worth $2,420,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other large investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. D.A. Davidson & CO. increased its holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. by 4.4% in the 4th quarter. D.A. Davidson & CO. now owns 576,959 shares of the company’s stock worth $60,731,000 after acquiring an additional 24,576 shares during the last quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC increased its holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. by 48.9% in the 4th quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC now owns 97,818 shares of the company’s stock worth $10,296,000 after acquiring an additional 32,114 shares during the last quarter. Coldstream Capital Management Inc. increased its holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. by 12.7% in the 3rd quarter. Coldstream Capital Management Inc. now owns 123,366 shares of the company’s stock worth $10,364,000 after acquiring an additional 13,940 shares during the last quarter. NEOS Investment Management LLC increased its holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. by 39.9% in the 3rd quarter. NEOS Investment Management LLC now owns 347,684 shares of the company’s stock worth $29,181,000 after acquiring an additional 99,074 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Campbell Capital Management Inc. purchased a new stake in Merck & Co., Inc. in the 3rd quarter worth about $1,866,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 76.07% of the company’s stock.

Merck & Co., Inc. Stock Down 0.6%

MRK stock opened at $114.92 on Thursday. The company has a quick ratio of 1.06, a current ratio of 1.30 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.02. The firm has a market capitalization of $283.84 billion, a PE ratio of 32.37, a PEG ratio of 2.60 and a beta of 0.21. Merck & Co., Inc. has a twelve month low of $76.66 and a twelve month high of $125.14. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $116.44 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $112.13.

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, April 30th. The company reported ($1.28) earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of ($1.47) by $0.19. The business had revenue of $16.29 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $15.85 billion. Merck & Co., Inc. had a return on equity of 27.55% and a net margin of 13.59%.The company’s quarterly revenue was up 4.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $2.22 EPS. Merck & Co., Inc. has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.040-5.160 EPS. On average, equities analysts predict that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 5.16 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Merck & Co., Inc. Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, July 8th. Stockholders of record on Monday, June 15th will be issued a dividend of $0.85 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, June 15th. This represents a $3.40 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.0%. Merck & Co., Inc.’s payout ratio is presently 95.77%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several brokerages recently weighed in on MRK. Cantor Fitzgerald lifted their price objective on Merck & Co., Inc. from $116.00 to $120.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Wednesday, February 4th. Citigroup started coverage on Merck & Co., Inc. in a report on Wednesday, May 6th. They set a “neutral” rating and a $125.00 target price for the company. Guggenheim lifted their target price on Merck & Co., Inc. from $122.00 to $140.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, February 6th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their target price on Merck & Co., Inc. from $125.00 to $135.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Monday, April 6th. Finally, Wall Street Zen lowered Merck & Co., Inc. from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Saturday, May 16th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have issued a Buy rating and seven have assigned a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, Merck & Co., Inc. presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $128.18.

Trending Headlines about Merck & Co., Inc.

Here are the key news stories impacting Merck & Co., Inc. this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Analysts have been raising Merck price targets, with some moving estimates from $135 to $150, as optimism builds around pipeline assets such as Sac TMT and TERN-701. This suggests Wall Street sees more upside if key trials and deal terms develop favorably. How Recent Pipeline Bets Are Rewriting the Story for Merck (MRK)
• Positive Sentiment: Merck received FDA breakthrough therapy designation for calderasib, a potential sign of regulatory momentum for one of its pipeline programs. That kind of update can support sentiment by improving the odds of future commercialization. Merck & Co. (MRK) Announces FDA’s Grant of Breakthrough Therapy Designation for Calderasib
• Positive Sentiment: Merck continues to highlight its oncology strategy and clinical pipeline at ASCO and other healthcare conferences, which keeps investors focused on longer-term growth opportunities beyond Keytruda. Merck & Co., Inc. (MRK) Presents at American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting 2026 – Slideshow
• Neutral Sentiment: Merck also announced a quarterly dividend and participated in investor-conference coverage, both of which reinforce its stable income profile and keep the company in focus, but are not major near-term catalysts. Merck & Co. (MRK) Announces Quarterly Dividend Merck to Participate in the Goldman Sachs 47th Annual Global Healthcare Conference
• Negative Sentiment: Some articles compare Merck unfavorably with peers or suggest the stock may not be the top biotech winner this year, which can weigh on sentiment if investors rotate toward faster-growing names. Meet the Biotech Stock That’s Trouncing Lilly, Merck, and Pfizer in 2026
• Negative Sentiment: Merck’s recent notes offering may strengthen its capital structure, but debt issuance can also remind investors of balance-sheet leverage and financing needs. Merck (MRK) Strengthens Capital Structure With Notes Offering

Merck & Co., Inc. Profile

Merck & Co, Inc is a global biopharmaceutical company engaged in the discovery, development, manufacture and marketing of prescription medicines, vaccines, biologic therapies and animal health products. Its portfolio spans multiple therapeutic areas with a particular emphasis on oncology, vaccines and infectious disease, as well as therapies for metabolic and chronic conditions. Among its well-known products are the cancer immunotherapy Keytruda (pembrolizumab) and the human papillomavirus vaccine Gardasil; the company also markets a range of medicines and vaccines for veterinary use through Merck Animal Health.

Founded in the late 19th century as the U.S.